The Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue 2016

I wrote last week in anticipation of the annual Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue. They revealed the cover yesterday – no Michael B Jordan but that’s because it’s all women. And, unlike past years, when the magazine was criticised for its lack of representation, this time they’ve included three women of colour, one on the front page: Viola Davis; and a range of ages: Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lawrence both on the cover. Also Lupita Nyong’o, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Helen Mirren, and Charlotte Rampling on the inside flaps.

The expression on everyone – serious, severe – is deliberate, I think, given the conversations that women in entertainment have been having all year about the gender pay gap, about the pressure to be likable, pleasing, and amenable. With the exception, hilariously, of Diane Keaton, because if she’s not comfortable with the “sexy, sultry” scowl, that works too. Some of them are better at it than others. Jane, not surprisingly, obviously, is all kinds of comfortable looking like she doesn’t give a f-ck. And she is, by far, my favourite of the group. Jennifer Lawrence, in both the group shot and in the portrait with Jane, looks endearingly like she’s trying very hard not to laugh.

Just another note though to go back to diversity. Not that I don’t love Rachel Weisz, I do. But if we’re talking about the season, and the actors who featured prominently, I’m not sure that Rachel was top of mind? Like, how about Tessa Thompson from Creed?

Click here to see more portraits from Vanity Fair. I LOVE Viola’s single portrait. It’s exquisitely raw.